The Million Jewels
by cosmictrap
Summary: Natsu, Gray and Erza go on a seemingly suspicious job that would pay one million dollars. They are to retrieve a kidnapped girl, Lucy Hart with utmost discretion. Some complications arise as Natsu and Lucy recognise each other from a previous "encounter" and this simple job changes the lives of the Fairytail mages. Some chapters will be M. NaLu, GrUvia, JErza.
1. Lionel Hart

**A/N: ****I hope you all bear with me. This'll be fun, I swear.**

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**_Chapter 1 - Lionel Hart_**

* * *

_"This sound okay?" _

_"Uhhh... I think you should remove the text 'retrieve kidnapped daughter of the business tycoon Jude Heartfilia'. You don't want word to spread, nor have the name of Heartfilia attached to it."_

_Intense nodding. "I suppose they should just call directly..." followed by a sigh._

_"Are you regretting the decision? It's not too late. They can be... er..."_

_"Its extreme, yes, but this may be the only way. No one else can or will help."_

_Solemn nod._

_"I'll up the reward to a million jewels. Just for reassurance."_

_"Highlight these words. That's very important." Mild tapping against the sheet of paper, resting on the table. _

_Sigh. "Yes, I suppose so. Maybe I'll even mention it twice."_

_Dark eyes go over the flyer again. And again._

_"This is it..."_

_"Yep. This is it..."_

* * *

**_COVERT MISSION. NEEDS EXTREME SECRECY AND CONFIDENTIALITY. _**

REWARD: ONE MILLION JEWELS

Owing to the urgency and secrecy of the job, details will only be revealed to a wizard(s) that has the approval of Mr. Lionel Hart.

Volunteers are to contact him personally for further details via portable lacrima using the code 0900-018-5413

**_COVERT MISSION. NEEDS EXTREME SECRECY AND CONFIDENTIALITY. _**

* * *

Natsu stares at the flyer, thoughtful. No one had taken the Hart job yet. It'd been two months since the job had first come in. There'd been a brawl at the realization of the reward but it had subsided almost immediately when Levy pointed out that they had no clue what job it was. There had been prolonged discussion, raging debates and it was ultimately concluded that there was something too suspicious about this.

_Nah, something isn't right with this_, was the collective conclusion and the job was forgotten about. Except when Nab stood at the board to announce that no one had taken it yet.

"Planning on taking up that job, Flame Brain?" asks Gray, coming up from behind and standing next to him, arms crossed as his eyes roved over the board.

"Naw," says Natsu, still staring at it. "What's it to you, Streaker."

"Just that the job description says it's supposed to be _covert_. Not your style, is it?"

"Are ya sayin' I can't pull it off," retorts Natsu, turning and glowering at Gray.

"Chill out," says Gray, without taking his eyes off the board. "And yeah, that's exactly what I mean."

"Say it to my face, Icicle," Natsu snarls before tackling Gray to the ground and naturally, a brawl breaks out and the rest of the guild pretends not to notice.

It stops as suddenly as it had started when the clanking of a metal armour announces Erza's rival. The boys freeze in place, Gray's hand holding Natsu by the scarf and the other about to punch Natsu in the face, and Natsu, tugging at the hand holding his scarf and about to punch Gray in the stomach. Erza watches the two of them for a couple of moments before rolling her eyes and holds her hand out, she revealing a bunched up white coat.

"Gray," she says. "For god's sake, put this on!"

"Yes, ma'am," he mutters as he reaches out for the coat and shrugs back in.

"What are you two idiots fighting about this time?"

"_He started it_!" both Natsu and Gray say at the same time, glowering at each other, fists ready to light up with fire and ice.

Erza takes another step towards them, eyes narrowing as she continues to look at them questioningly and Gray relents. "_Fine. _I told this idiot that he shouldn't take the Hart job because being _covert _is not his thing."

"Natsu?" she asks. "Do you intend to take it up?"

"Well, I wasn't gonna," he says, scratching the back of his head. "But to prove Ice Princess wrong, _maybe I will._"

Gray scoffed. "You won't get any of that pay. You're just gonna burn everything down."

"_As if _you can do better!"

"Hell, yeah! I bet I can finish the job and have all of that one million jewels," says Gray smugly.

"Well, I suppose it's decided then," says Erza grandly, closing her eyes for a second with satisfaction.

"Huh?" Both the boys give her a puzzled look.

"Mirajane, Gray and Natsu are taking the Hart job," she says, eyes twinkling. "And _I _will be going along with them for damage control."

* * *

Natsu, Erza and Gray sit Makarov's study, ready to call Mr. Hart. It is odd that he chose the portable lacrima code, because usually they either met the people posting the job in person or on the video lacrima. One couldn't help but wonder what about this mission could possibly be so secretive. Erza sits at the desk, across the empty chair that Makarov was to fill at any moment. Gray stood beside her, arms crossed, looking bored, while Natsu has both his palms flat on the table to Erza's right, peering at the glowing blue lacrima screen, the number ready to be dialled.

The door burst open and Makarov walked in to occupy his seat. He stares at the three of them before sighing. "You do understand this is a covert mission?"

"Yes, Master," says Erza sombrely.

Makarov looks pointedly at Natsu, who grunts indignantly in response.

And then with a nod, Makarov hits _dial. _It rings twice before they get an answer.

"Hello?" says a woman's voice.

"Er..." starts Erza. "Mr. Lionel Hart?" _Well, obviously not. _

"Oh!" the voice exclaims, clearly surprised. "Er, yes of course. One moment, please."

There's a little bit of shuffling, a soft ringing noise and then, a hushed voice that Natsu's dragon sense perceives; it is very low, and he has to strain to hear it. He speculates that it was the same woman who'd answered the call.

_"I think it's them."_

_"About time I'd say."_

_A soft chuckle. _

_"_Hello?" comes a voice, startling everyone in the room. "Lionel Hart, here."

"Mr. Hart," starts Makarov. "I'm the Master of Fairy Tail. In the room I have with me Erza Scarlet, Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster," he pauses hesitantly, sure that the man would say something snide, but nothing, just silence, but Natsu does hear something.

_"All three of them that can't be good." A low mutter._

_"Erza Scarlet? As in The Titania? And The Salamander?" Pause. "Fullbuster... The icemake mage. They're among the most powerful the guild has." The voice of the woman._

"They have volunteered for the covert job request you sent two months ago."

_"Shh." _

_"This is supposed to be lowkey," Emphasis on the words 'lowkey'. _

Natsu feels just a tad bit offended and is filled with indignation. He's about to retort when he hears Hart again.

_"SHH." _

"Ah, yes," says Lionel, taking a couple of seconds to respond. "I... I..."'

Then, there's a clearing of the throat. "My daughter Lucy... She's been kidnapped, and I need your help to retrieve her."

_"Lucy?!" an annoyed whisper. _Natsu frowns, wondering what the issue was and strains harder, but hears nothing else.

It takes him a moment to realize that everyone was quiet. They look taken aback and as the words hit them and they realise that they'd ignored the job for two months. Erza looks down uneasily and Gray now has the man's full attention. Natsu still stands alert, still frowning.

"I carried out some investigations of my own. We know where she's being held," continues Lionel, "But then I hit a dead-end simply because where she is... I can't send my men without drawing unwanted to the situation. I haven't made her kidnapping public because it could pose danger to her..." he pauses.

"Where is she being held, Mr. Hart?" Erza presses.

"Er, at a mansion. It's owned by a dark guild. The... Obsidian Knights," says Hart and after a pause admits. "It's heavily guarded."

Erza looks up with a frown at Makarov, who shrugs. _Obsidian Knights?_

"I've never heard of them," says Natsu curiously, voicing everyone's doubt.

"Ah, yes. They're very quiet, hiding in the shadows. Not many people know about them. They lack funds and their guild master approached me, for sponsorship. I suppose refusing them was what set them off on this vendetta," he replies.

"How do you know it was them?" asks Gray.

"They... Left a note," says Hart. "My daughter will be held hostage till I co-operate and fund them. I had a private investigator do some work and found where she was being kept. But I myself cannot afford to interfere because the slightest sign might set off alarm signals. I can't risk that."

"Hence the lack of details," states Erza.

"Yes, I wanted to make sure that no one knew except the ones who are supposed to help. If it got out, everyone would be watching and we- I couldn't have that."

"That makes sense," murmurs Gray, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So I can be assured you will do it? This won't get out?"

"You have my word," says Makarov solemnly.

And then he tells them where to find her, the address and everything.

"We'll be there tomorrow evening, sir," Erza promises. "By tomorrow night, your daughter will be liberated."

Natsu and Gray nod in agreement, and Hart says slowly. "Tomorrow night... That sounds wonderful."

The smaller details are worked in the next 10 minutes and just as the conversation's heading to a close...

_"COVERT. CO-VERT. They have to cover their faces and the emblem. They can't know who was involved in this. If he finds out, there'll be hell to pay. For both me, and Fairy Tail."_

"Just one more thing, make sure none of the guards see your emblem or faces. No one can know who the parties involved are. Witnesses will prove to be more trouble than I can afford."

* * *

Lucy leans against the walls of the room. It'd always felt this cold. She wanted reprieve. It was tiring, the facade and all the smiling and the niceties. Home... What an abstract concept. She sighs, rolling to her side, and stares at the bag leaning against the soft pink wall. The getaway bag that she'd had ready to go for so long. She'd given up hope now. This was what her life would be, she thinks with resignation. Her eyes mist over and she finds herself missing her mother more than ever. She was tired of the loneliness, with no one for company except her celestial spirits and the godawful guards that were designated to keep her inside.

She's close to falling asleep when her portable lacrima rings. Her eyes fly open and she grabs it instantly. "Hello?"

There's a small pause and the deep voice of a woman comes through. "Er... Mr. Lionel?"

"Oh!" She's instantly alert. "Er, yes, of course. One moment please." she says, tears forgotten as she reaches under her pillow and grabs a golden key, and before she does something it pulses before there's a flash of light and Loke appears, looking at her questioningly; she gives him an excited smile.

"I think it's them," she says excitedly, voice low as she holds the lacrima away from her face.

"About time I'd say," he whispers as his hand reaches for the phone, giving her a small smile.

* * *

**A/N: GIMME YOUR THOUGHTS PLS. ****Pls leave reviews and tell me what you think. I'm kind of proud of this baby... You can send me prompts on my Tumblr at . ! If anyone guesses things correctly, I'll write on whatever prompt y'all want.**

**I'm going to shamelessly advertise myself because... I love validation :) - In case you haven't read it, read my FRIENDS AU fic titled 'Lobsters and Friends' fic I need y'all to tell me about both these fics. PLEASH.**

**SUMMARY OF THE FIC: ****Loosely inspired FRIENDS AU set in the Fairytail universe. Runaway bride Lucy moves in with Erza, and playboy Gray and the dorky Natsu live across the hall. Aside from their personal lives, there's also a bigger threat looming that they need to prepare for. NaLu, GruVia, JeRza, etc. Rated T for themes. Romance Adventure Humour**


	2. Lucky Night

**A/N: ****Aw man you guys really left me hanging there. Is it really that bad? :( Please leave me some reviews, I really need to know what you guys think! :(**

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**_Chapter 2 - Lucky Night_**

* * *

"We'll be there tomorrow evening, sir," Erza promises. "By tomorrow night, your daughter will be liberated."

Loke smiles just a little bit. "Tomorrow night…" he repeats looking at Lucy, and eyes become brighter. "That sounds wonderful."

The next couple of minutes, Lucy doesn't really pay attention to the conversation anymore. She falls back on her bed, giddy with happiness, and stares at the ceiling, urging tomorrow to come as it could. She could feel it in her blood that tomorrow night would be a good night.

* * *

The next evening, Lucy doesn't leave the window seat from the second sun starts to set. From that moment on, it was technically night. Any moment. Any moment now would be the second her freedom came, and she wanted to remember every detail of this day. She's already written down what she's had for breakfast and lunch. If tonight went in her favour, she would have her dinner at Hargeon, preferably at the pub she'd visited three months ago. And if she was lucky, maybe she'd see that stranger from that bar again. Stranger Boy, she'd said she would call him. He was clearly just passing through, but hey, maybe this was her lucky night.

She laughs at her own silliness. That didn't even really matter. If she could just step foot outside of this ghostly manor, outside of those wrought iron gates at the end of gravelly road leading up to the building she was housed in, she'd be happy. That would be enough, she thinks, as she gazes up at the sky. The sight of the gray clouds swirling overhead makes her grimace, reminding her of the Rain Woman. It'd been nearly three months, and she still didn't know the name of the unwavering blue-haired woman stationed outside her bedroom door. She'd practically taken over the role of her shadow, never leaving her from the second she set foot outside of her room. And yet... She had no idea what name of the woman. Never heard anything from her except monotonous, monosyllables. She only spoke when spoken to and Lucy's never seen the bluenette's face wear any other expression than the one she'd seen her the very first time she'd come here.

She sticks her hand out of the window, for once, enjoying the cold splatter against her palms, the tingling session mimicking the rush of excitement she was feeling.

_Maybe tonight, I can see the stars._

Her thoughts are interrupted by a warm pulse on her side where her keys would be, followed by a gold flash and Loke is sitting in front of her, mirroring her position on the window seat.

"Just wanted to wish you luck before they got here. Hopefully, the next time I see you, we'll be some place nice," he says, a small smile on his face.

Lucy laughs. "Yeah. I hope so too."

"Maybe a beach," he suggests, looking at her thoughtfully.

She wags a finger in front of his face. "Now, don't go daydreaming, Loke. We don't even know if they're coming."

"Princess, Erza is a woman of her word," Loke chuckles. "Besides, I'll bet you a 1000 jewels that Natsu and Gray are trying to outdo each other; they value that rivalry over life itself, so they'll be here. All of three of them."

"Let's see," she murmurs. "You ever miss them, Loke? The guild?" she asks.

Loke shrugs. "In some ways, yes. But I'm home now. With my friends and famiy that I've known for almost millennia. Yes, I do miss them sometimes, but… No pain, no gain, am I right?"

"Right," she says, unconvinced. "Hey, Loke? Do you really think they'll be able to beat the Rain Woman and Black Steel?"

"I have no doubt," says Loke confidently.

Lucy smiled happily, going back to gazing out of the window.

Loke straightens, alert as he looks out towards the gate. "They're here," he says, a small smile on his face. "Told ya."

Lucy hops off the window seat and turns around to survey the scene behind her one last time. Broken bookshelf, clawed out curtains and a mess of a bedsheet. If she was being honest, she'd sort of enjoyed vandalising the property. All photos of her as a child were gone, as were those of her mother'ss. The family portrait that hung above the fireplace was safely tucked under the bed.

"You ready?" Loke asks.

Lucy checks her keys, to make sure they're all there. The tattered backpack she intended to carry with her was ready on the bed.

"Ready," she nods, solemnly.

And now they wait.

* * *

Natsu, Erza and Gray stood in front of the wrought iron gate, staring up at it. This Lionel Hart guy was beyond rich. It was sort of reassuring, because that meant that the one million jewels weren't a joke. Against the dark grey sky, they could see the silhouette of the mansion in the distance.

Erza frowns. "Do either of you think it strange that it's raining here? It's been sunny all day. I hadn't even noticed the clouds gathering."

"_Everything_ about this mission is strange," mutters Natsu, tugging at his clothes. He was covered head to toe in dark clothes. "Who in the heck are the Obsidian Knights. And if they're such nobodies, why do they have two of Phantom Lord's most powerful guarding the hostage."

"It is indeed suspicious," Erza agrees. "You gotta have pull to be able to do something like that. Besides, Phantom Lord is a legal guild. Why would they risk associating so openly with dark guilds?"

"It's not really open though, is it?" says Gray. "The whole matter's been very hushed up. Not a soul knows Lucy Hart is missing."

"I doubt anyone knows who Lucy Hart is either. A man of this wealthy stature… It's shocking that he's maintained a low profile and none of us having heard of him," says Erza, reflectively.

"OH, _come on_," says Natsu expasperatedly. "We gonna stand here and chat all night or do our job!"

Erza sighs. "He's right. As suspicious as this whole thing still is, we still have our job to do."

"I'm all fired up now," Natsu grins, his hands catching fire as he aims for the gate, and in that second he feels a blunt pain on the back of his head as the hilt of Erza's sword lands there in a quick stroke.

"_Covert mission, Natsu_," she hisses, as she summons a sword that she uses to slice a couple of the bars off the gate like it was butter, making just enough room for them to pass through.

"Now, before we begin," she says. "The rules and the plan, Natsu?"

He makes a sour face. "We scour the manor first, and look through the windows to gauge where she could be kept hidden. No one should see our face, or the guild's emblem," he grumbles.

"The mask stays on at all times…"

"And…?" she presses.

"I can't use my fire magic because Gajeel will figure out it's Dragon Slayer magic," he says, annoyedly, making Gray snicker. "Aw, _come on_. It's not fair, where's the fun if I don't burn something down!"

"Shut up, you big baby," scolds Erza. "I am not using my signature requips either, am I?" She summons a katana into each of her hands.

"Guess that leaves everything up to me," says Gray chuckling, as he covers his face with the dark mask.

"Whatever," mutters Natsu, pulling his mask up and securing a strap around his hand where the Fairy Tail emblem is.

"Before we begin," says Erza, turning to Natsu, as she pulled the mask over her face, hair neatly tucked in behind her. "Natsu, you able to catch any of our scents?"

Natsu sniffs the air. "Nope, we're good to go."

But he does smell _something _familiar. Or maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him. Shaking his head, he follows Erza and Gray through the hole they'd created in the gate.

* * *

Lucy paces her room with excitement wishing Loke could be there to give her updates, but that would be too risky. She knew that. So she paces. And paces. Occasionally bunching the hem of her faded, tattered shirt in her hands._ So close_. She goes to her window, squinting in the dark to see if she could make anything out. Zilch. She strains further, and then her eyes fall to the ground below and she sees a dark silhouette against the inky blue, shadowed grass. A pair of eyes looking at her, and as she watches, they narrow just a tad and she backs away from the window.

_Had she been… recognised? How was that even possible?_

Seconds later, a shadowy muscular figure jumped through the window, landing without a sound on the wooden floor of her bedroom. A man. The figure stands and stares at her, as if scrutinising her.

"Er, are you from Fairy Tail?" she asks nervously, voice low, as she turns her head to look over shoulder at the door, where she knew the Rain Woman still stood.

The figure doesn't answer her and she looks at him unsurely; if this were under any other circumstances, she'd say that his eyes almost had a mischievous gleam to them.

"Heya, Blondie," he says, and the laughter in the way he says it is evident and he takes a step towards her. "Miss me?"

She recognises that voice from that week in Hargeon three months ago. She remembers how that entire week was spent. She'd heard that voice every night of that entire week (and on two mornings and one afternoon). Memories of where his hands had been flooded her mind, as she remembers her own throaty responses to his every touch. The thought makes her shiver and she flushes pink when he chuckles in response to her response. Then, he covers the distance between them and before she can react, he lowers his mask to place chastest of kisses on her lips; nothing like the ones gave me then, for sure, she thinks, and when he draws back, she is left breathless.

"Looks like you did," he says playfully, and despite herself, she gives him a small smile.

"Stranger Boy," she says, almost a sigh, her voice completely dry now as she tries to quell the flood of images rushing through her mind.

Well, maybe it _is, _in fact, her lucky night.

* * *

**A/N: ****SO? COMMENTS? ANYONE INTERESTED IN A SPIN OFF FIC OF THAT ONE WEEK AT HARGEON? please don't leave me out to dry, I NEED to know what you guys are thinking if I wanna make this fic better.**


	3. The Covert Mission

**A/N: Thanks you Trollka21 and paolarohe1529 for leaving me reviews! I really appreciate that you took the time to do that. Cannot tell you how even the smalles comments can be so encouraging 3 Thank you for you support!**

* * *

**_Chapter 3 - The Covert Mission_**

* * *

"Before we begin," says Erza, turning to Natsu, as she pulled the mask over her face, hair neatly tucked in behind her. "Natsu, you able to catch any of our scents?"

Natsu sniffs the air. He catches the whiff of something familiar, but shakes his head. Impossible. "Nope, we're good to go."

Upon having Natsu recite the rules one last time, including the basic plan - Natsu was supposed to cover all the windows in the front of the manor and Gray, the ones in the back. Gray was then supposed to sneak in through the backdoor and scour for any other rooms they possibly might have missed - and an additional comment from Erza that once they were there, there would be no talking because the Dragon Slayer Gajeel is bound to hear, they set off.

As the three of them walked towards the quiet manor, Natsu noted how strange it was that the "Obsidian Knights" guildmarks weren't anywhere. If this was a guild's property, it should've been in a glaringly obvious place. As they neared the manor, he noticed that even the manor didn't have a mark.

Natsu separated from the group on cue, leaping above the hedge on the right and approaching the house from behind it, while Gray did the same on the left. Erza went straight to the fountain and ducked behind its outer ring, one knee on the floor and the other propped up as she allows herself to peep up from behind the white rim, carefully keeping her eye level the same as the surface of the edge.

She could see a tall, well-built man with long hair pacing in front of the door restlessly and she assumed that that must be Gajeel. Her eyes darted to the left and right, as she prayed that the guys would stick to the plan and not screw it up being the annoying loudmouths they usually could be.

* * *

The second Natsu got closer to the house, the scent became stronger. There was no way he was imagining it anymore. The fragrant jasmine with a hint of coconut made his throat dry as he followed it, finally stopping under a window. It made no sense as to the scent was here… Why she would be here. Unless… the thought worries him.

He looks up to see that the window was open, and just as he's readying himself, he sees her blonde head peeping out and his breath catches. She looks around before she catches his eye. She frowns for a moment before her eyes widen a little and she draws back suddenly.

He can't help the grin that forms on his face when jumps, catches the ledge of the window and pulls himself up to climb into the room. She's standing nervously just a few feet from him, and now, he's sure it's her. It was really her; he should've known better than to not trust his nose.

"Er, are you from Fairy Tail?" she asks nervously, voice low, as she turns her head to look over shoulder at the door.

For few moments, he forgets why he was really there, as well as the circumstances. He can't help himself. Something about the way her head cocks to the side, her blonde hair swaying as she does and her eyes curious and just a tad nervous.

"Heya, Blondie," he says, and can't help the low chuckles that escapes him as he takes a step towards her. "Miss me?"

He watches her eyes widen in recognition and hears her heart racing; an oddly satisfying thought. She looks at him dumbstruck and her eyes sort of glaze over as her cheeks turn a really pretty shade of pink. He waits for her to respond but when he sees a shiver run through her, he feels his mouth dry up and before he can reign in his feelings - and his memories - he covers the distance between them. Lowering his mask, he places the chastest of kisses on her lips - strawberry flavoured, just like before - and it takes everything in him to not make it deeper.

"Looks like you did," he says and hopes he sounds casual, and not as erratic as he was feeling at the moment. He is thankful that she can't hear his heart racing. She gives him a small smile and he can't help but grin when does not put any distance between them.

"Stranger Boy," she sighs and it reminds him of that one morning when he'd planted soft kisses on her neck to wake her up.

He gulps and she senses him tensing. She licks her lip nervously and sees his eyes darken just a little bit, and her knees weaken. His hands grip her elbow and he starts to lean in when the door to the bedroom flies open and both of them jump apart red-faced; the back of Lucy's legs hit the bed and she falls on it, wishing the ground would swallow her whole as she sees another man enter the room, wearing almost the same attire as Natsu.

"What the hell are you doing, man?" asks Gray, his voice low, incredulous eyes darting between the two of them.

Natsu blinks and as heat rushes to his cheek, _again, _he remembers that they were here to rescue a kidnapped Lucy Hart. His eyes dart to the blonde woman now sheepishly scrambling of the bed. _Blondie._ _Lucy Hart. Kidnapped. _It seems very unreal to him and he's still process the dots he's just connected when he hears Lucy.

"Uhhhh I was… getting my bag," says Lucy, grabbing the tattered bag off the bed.

"You _found _her? You should've been on your way outta the window by now!" he hisses.

"It was er, my fault, I was just gathering my stuff," stutters Lucy stupidly.

Gray's eyes dart to her and he starts to say something but his eyes widen in horror. "We… we _weren't supposed to talk. _Gajeel-"

"-Can't hear us," Lucy cut in, as she stood up and strapped the bag on before patting the celestial keys hanging on her. "I… put up an enchantment."

"Wait, you're a wizard!?" asks Natsu, surprised.

"Er… yeah," she mutters sheepishly.

Natsu and Gray exchanged looks, before Gray looked back at her. "Then… why would you need our help?"

"Well, because I-" she paused, and was thankful when she remembered something to deviate the topic. "Wait, how'd you get past the Rain Woman?" asks Lucy, remembering that she hadn't heard any kind of battle or anything outside.

There was no way she would've just let him walk past her. She peeped outside and was shocked to see a gigantic crystalline ice structure and recognised the Rain Woman in the centre, frozen mid attack.

"_ You froze her _," says Lucy, awestruck. "I'm guessing you're Gray Fullbustrer…" she mutters, almost to herself.

Gray frowned. "Wait, how did you-"

"We don't have much time then. The ice won't hold for very long, she's a powerful water mage," she said, cutting Gray off. _Second save of the day. God dammit, why are my thoughts so derailed right now._

She snuck a peak at Stranger Boy, who she knew, through the process of elimination, was Natsu Dragneel. _It's your fault, _she thought accusingly, as he pulled his mask back on.

"Well, in that case we don't have much time," says Natsu, looking at Gray who nodded.

Before she could say anything, Natsu had rushes to the window and leaps out, while Gray grabs her hand and pulls her to the window.

"Okay," says Gray. "You need to jump. I know it's scary, but Natsu will catch you. You just have to trust us and-"

"I'll jump, it's no big deal," says Lucy, half her body already outside of the window. "I just need to get out of here."

"Right," says Gray as he watches her jump and peers down to see that Natsu had caught Lucy and he jumps out as well, landing cleanly next to the two of them.

"You know, you can put her down now," says Gray, arms crossed, regarding Natsu with narrowed eyes.

Natsu clears his throat. "Right," he says, setting her down as she dusts off her clothes.

"Road to freedom," says Lucy, looking at the wrought iron gate in the distance.

_So close._

* * *

Erza watches patiently from her spot as she watches the Iron Dragon Slayer pacing, looking bored and getting increasingly agitated. She sees him frown once and look behind him, almost like he intends to go inside, making Erza tense as the grip around her sword tightens and she braces herself, waiting. But he grunts instead, muttering something inaudible before continuing his pacing.

She breathes a soft sigh of relief. _So far, super covert. _

Minutes seem to tick by when she sees him freeze again, this time, sniffing the air. He looks to her left, eyes narrowed and she hears him grunt again. She starts to stand up and she sees his muscles tense as a low growl escapes him. He's about to leap forward when she blocks him with her sword. He's taken by surprise but he turns his hand into a sword and the two of them engage in combat. Most of it is merely a feint, two opponents just gauging each other as they duel.

* * *

Hearing the clash of the metal, Gray and Natsu exchanged an understanding. Gray nods once, before he goes towards Erza as Lucy watches with wide eyes. _Well, this wasn't supposed to happen. _Natsu grabs Lucy's hand and they make a run for it, once again, hiding behind the tall hedges that lined the road upto the manor. They run and Lucy's hands start to feel clammy and she finds it difficult to breathe because there was no sign that Natsu would stop anytime soon. She looked back at her house, the ghostly building to see that it had stopped raining. On cue, Natsu stopped abruptly as well, making her crash into his back.

"Ow!" she whimpered, rubbing her nose.

"Sorry," he whispered, as he stuck his head out from behind the hedge. The manor was now to the far left and the gate, immediately to their right. "We're here."

He craned his neck to see if he could make something of the battle, slightly wistful that he was missing in on the action. He could see wisps of silver and blue from Gray's Ice-Make magic; then there was a burst of bright light and Natsu could see a gigantic wall of ice from where he stood. He tugs at Lucy's hand, and the two of them go through the hole Erza had previously cut into the gate.

"Will they be alright?" asks Lucy, worriedly.

He shot her a grin. "'Course they will. They're members of Fairy Tail!"

He guides her to a large tree a couple of meters down the maingate, behind which hid a magic mobile. The two of them hopped in and Natsu inhaled deeply.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but er, I've got motion sickness," he admits, scratching his neck nervously. "So would you, er, mind just..." he trails away, nodding at the steering wheel.

Moments later, Lucy and Natsu are waiting in the magic mobile, now parked right outside the gate. As she stares down the road, Lucy sees that two figures in black were running towards them and one of them, Gray, kept making more and more of the ice walls behind him as he ran. They ran through the gate and hopped into the magic mobile, and Lucy hit the pedal as soon as they'd both jumped in.

"That won't hold them off for very long," says Erza, beckoning for Lucy to let her drive. As Lucy switches seats with Erza, Erza continues. "The Rain Woman got out as well. So much for a covert mission."

"_ They didn't see your faces, did they!?" _asks Lucy, alarmed.

"No. We were careful," says Erza, pulling her mask of before inhaling deeply, as the wind whips her hair around her face. "But Gajeel… I saw him tense. How'd he even know? You didn't make any noise… Did the scent-masking spell wear off?"

Natsu sniffs, amidst a groan, and shakes his head. "It's still on…" He turns to Lucy. "He probably caught _her _scent."

Lucy looks confused for a second and then groans. "_ Of course. _How could I have been so stupid!"

"Hey, it's not your fault, you couldn't have known," says Natsu, touching her arm, still looking green.

"Right," she mutters. "Well, as long as they didn't see your faces or your emblems, I think it should be okay."

Gray looks sideways at Lucy, curious. "Yes, it should be." It was odd that she knew so much for someone who was _supposed _to have no idea that she was going to be rescued that night. Almost as if she knew the details of it all, and this wasn't the first time tonight.

"Well, if it's the scent then we have to do something to throw them off," she says before turning to Lucy. "Would you trust us to go with us to Hargeon? We can take you home after we cast the scent-masking spell on you. That would prevent you from being tracked."

Lucy nods. "I trust you guys. Let's go to Hargeon."

Erza nods as well, while Gray regards Lucy thoughtfully. When Erza hits the pedal harder, the mobile speeds up and Natsu groans again, his head hanging out of the window.

"I know a place we could stay for the night at Hargeon," says Lucy, slowly, her eyes darting to look at Natsu, whose body was half outside. "The White Lotus Inn."

Natsu tenses and looks over his shoulder, motion sickness temporarily forgotten as her cheeks start to flush.

"White Lotus…" repeats Erza. "Isn't that where you stayed during your job at Hargeon three months ago, Natsu?"

"It's er, a great place," says Natsu, tearing his eyes away from Lucy for a second. Looking back at her, he cocks his head, unable to help the smirk that forms on his lips. "White Lotus Inn it is."

* * *

**A/N: Any guesses on what'll happen next? Might just be lowkey obvious, if I'm being honest hehehe**


	4. White Lotus Inn - I

**A/N: ****Sorry, this is a little shorter than I expected but I think content-wise, adding more would take away from it. Already working on the next chapter! Let me know what you think!**

* * *

**_Chapter 4 - White Lotus Inn - I_**

* * *

The four of them sat at a table in the far corner of the ground floor of the inn, having their dinner quietly. The silence isn't awkward, and Lucy for one, is thankful. This was an unprecedented scenario and she wasn't sure how she'd be able to handle questions from them about some things.

The plan had been to take her Crocus, which is where she'd said her home was. Technically, of her homes. Once they'd reached the Crocus mansion, there, she would have opened Capricorn's gate, who would have posed as the butler to hand over the million jewels the job had promised (the money was now currently tucked away carefully at the bottom of the backpack that she was hugging to her chest, not letting it out of her sight). This part, going to Crocus, she considered crucial for the handover of the money; she couldn't just pull the wad of cash out of her bag herself, could she?

Then, when the wizards had left, Lucy would just turn around and walk in the opposite direction they'd taken. She had been planning to visit Hargeon after and take the first ship that sailed that morning, even if that ship had taken her to Alvarez, she was planning to go.

It was actually a flawless plan. Not really, but that's what Lucy thought.

She starts to debate improvising on her "flawless" plan when Erza's voice cuts through her thoughts. "Miss Hart?"

It takes her a second to realize that she was the one being addressed and she sets her bread down slowly before looking at Erza. She had a couple of bruises on her cheek and wore a Heart Kreuz armour, now wearing her scarlet hair down.

"Yes, Miss Scarlet?" says Lucy, coughing a little bit.

"Are you hurt?" asks Erza gently.

"H-Hurt?" asks Lucy, startled.

"You've been a hostage for almost three months now," says Erza, her tone still soft. "I just… wanted to make sure you weren't hurt or anything."

Lucy blinks and looks down at her lap, feeling guilty for not being truthful. But it was for the best. For herself and for them. Who knew what her father would do. So she looks up at Erza, a wane smile on her face.

"I'm okay," she says, trying to keep it as truthful as possible. "No one really hurt me physically."

Erza nods before giving Natsu a subtle look, and he nods, detecting no spike in her pulse.

"That's good to hear," says Erza with a smile. "Your father will be very happy."

Lucy tries everything in her power to hold back the snort that was making her way up her throat. "He sure will be. _So _happy."

There's a brief silence on the table, wondering if her father already knew she was gone. Would the Rain Woman and Dragon Slayer try to retrieve her first or would they report to him immediately? The thought made her jumpy. She wonders if it would be better to just take the very next ship out of Hargeon. The wizards had lowered their masks too, making it likelier that she would be noticed and seen with them; too many witnesses. This wasn't supposed to happen, thinks frustratedly. Maybe she should just get out of here when she still could; before the entire town and possibly the kingdom is looking for her. It was the safer bet.

She looks at three of them and fakes a yawn before declaring that she was going to bed. As she got up and left, she tries her best to ignore that Stranger Boy, no, _Natsu_'s eyes were tracking her as she pushed through the door to head to the lobby where the stairs to the room upstairs were.

Once in the lobby she lingers there for a few moments, going over the idea in her head once again.

* * *

Lucy is out of earshot when Erza sets the fork down to look at the boys. "We need to tell her father the change of plans," she says.

"Why?" asks Natsu, "We said we'd get her tonight, and we did. And we said we'd bring her to Crocus by tomorrow evening, and we will. This is just a minor setback," he says nonchalantly.

"There's also something very odd-" starts Gray, but is interrupted once by Lucy

"Hey guys, sorry but er, I thought I should let you know," starts Lucy, before taking a second to calm her nerves. "Er, there's been a change of plans."

When no one says anything, she continues.

"I just spoke to my father and he says he'll be in town tomorrow morning. So you can just leave me here," she says brightly. "He said he'll arrange for someone to bring you guys the money he promised.

"Are you sure?" asks Natsu. "Gajeel could be here. Maybe we should stick around?" he questions, looking at his friends.

Erza nods. "I think Natsu's right. Maybe we should, even till we get you to Crocus."

Lucy is about to start protesting vehemently, when Gray interrupts, his voice casual, fingers drumming against the wooden table. "May I ask, how did you speak to your father?"

"Er, portable communication lacrima," says Lucy, tensing just a little bit. Natsu looks up, curious when he hears the mild change in her heartbeat. "As I was saying-"

"You had one on you all along?" asks Gray again, leaning forward on the table, his fingers coming to a stop as he looks up at her unblinkingly.

"W-Well, I just… It was on me when I got taken and it-" she starts, starting to feel uneasy under his gaze.

"Wait, when was that again?" asks Gray, brows knitting together in a faux frown.

Lucy tells him the date, barely getting it out, but now Natsu sits up straight. It was the same day he had left Hargeon. She was kidnapped _that very night_? The thought makes his stomach churn a little.

"That's three months. The job came to us two months ago. Why'd your father wait for a whole month?" he continues, not losing his cool exactly, but keeping his voice cold and eyes never leaving Lucy's face.

"I...I don't-"

"Gray!" exclaims Erza, turning to glare at him, but he ignores her, continuing to stare Lucy down.

"Three months ago... Why didn't you use it before then?" he asks. "To get help?"

"Because it was dead," she says, the first thing that came to her mind and she continues nervously, starting to feel really scared now. "The battery ran out and…" Pause. "All the electrical points in my room were-"

"_Your _room?" asks Gray suspiciously, starting to stand up, hands crossed across his chest.

She backs away a little, mumbling, "If you're… in a room for three months it's… well…"

"How did you manage to call him now? If it was dead?" asks Gray, voice cold.

"I…" Pause. Deep breath. "Asked the receptionist…" Pause. "...to charge it just enough."

He looks unconvinced and he starts to say something else when Natsu stands up abruptly.

"Gray, cut it out!" he says, at last. "You're freaking her out!"

When Gray doesn't move, Erza touches his arm, almost as if reminding him that she was still there. "Gray," is all she says and when he looks back at her, he sits down quietly.

"Good night," murmurs Lucy, before turning on her wheel and leaving.

The three of them sit in awkward silence for some time, finishing the last of their meals quietly.

* * *

Lucy paced the room restlessly, trying to calm her nerves. Gray had really managed to work her up and she was starting to get fidgety. This was not how it was supposed to go. Things were supposed to be simpler than this. No one was supposed to get suspicious. No one was supposed to see her with them, or them with her. The Rain Woman and the Iron Dragon Slayer were not supposed to be on their tail; she didn't know if they were, but _if they were… _She was not only at the risk of getting caught, but the wizards who had helped her would get into serious trouble. That had most definitely been one of the reasons she'd decided not to reveal herself; aside from the fact that it would go _super _public of course, that Jude Heartfilia's daughter was missing.

That news, she supposed, would become public soon anyway. But it would be the truth, at least; she would, in fact, be missing.

_Ugh. _

She is tempted to open Loke's gate and talk to him about this, see what he had to say, but she's sure Natsu would sniff out the familiar scent in an instant. She's also sure that's exactly why he hadn't already opened the gate himself.

Maybe she should just leave right away. That was good. It wouldn't matter if they found it suspicious or weird or _anything at all _if she just left in the night without talking to anyone. She wouldn't have to deal with the questions of how she got that money. She could leave a note on her table, thank them for their help and leave the one million jewels there.

_Yeah. Seems perfect._

She hurried to the desk in her room and after scrambling for a blank sheet of paper, she starts to think of what exactly to write; this was the last thing she'd say to them, and she wants to make it count. She didn't want to give too much away. What she knew she needed to convey are gratitude and an apology; she knew they'd figure it out sooner or later, and she wants to apologize for it in advance.

As thinks this out, she also starts to consider writing something to Natsu. It didn't seem right to just not talk about it, or say something. Ultimately, _that week _had been one of the best she'd had in years. Not only for everything he'd done for her, or actually… well, _to _her, it was also the week she'd found Loke.

_I should say something._

_That's stupid because you'd both made it clear that it was just one nigh- one week thing. _

_But he rescued me. Well.. "rescued" me. I owe him a little more than just a note. _

_UGH. _

_NOW. _

_IS. _

_NOT._

_TIME._

She shakes her head and decides to just write the main note first, the one she intended on leaving with the cash.

* * *

Downstairs at the inn's restaurant, between the three of them, the only sound is that of Natsu's restless foot tapping against the wooden floor.

He can't stop thinking about it. About her.So much had happened on that same night. _And it had been right there, on their job board for two months! TWO. MONTHS. What are the chances? And why am I feeling guilty?_

_Ugh._

"I… I'm going upstairs," mutters Natsu, standing up abruptly. "To… bed. Good night." With that, he stands up and leaves, without waiting for their response.

"So," says Erza, waiting for Natsu to get out of earshot, looking at Gray directly. "You want to tell me what that was about?"

* * *

**A/N: ****SO? ANY GUESSES ON WHAT NEXT? HM? LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, I LIVE FOR REVIEWS. sorry for yelling. but please, tell me what you think? there's multiple things that need addressing in the story? Next chapter is called... Well.. No surprise there, but White Lotus Inn - II**

**how do you think lucy's "plan" is gonna play out? How do you think lucy's "plan" is gonna play out? how do you think natsu will react? [ keep in mind his goofy ass personality ]**


	5. White Lotus Inn - II

**A/N: there's some explicit, not TOO explicit stuff towards the end of this chapter. if you aren't comfortable, stop reading when ** appears and start reading from where *** appears.**

**A couple of replies to some reviews!**

** : **Thank you so much for your dedicated, constant reviews! You have no idea how much they mean to me. And I'm glad you liked that Lucy's clever in this one! I did want her to be a smartass, hehe. And you're not wrong, Gray's onto something.

**Trollka21 **& **AllFiredUp511: **I am plotting the Hargeon spinoff! I'm still a little shaky on the details and it might take a while, but I think I'll definitely put it out! Ily, thank you for encouraging me the way you do! xoxo

* * *

**_Chapter 5 - White Lotus Inn - II_**

* * *

As Natsu trudges slowly up the stairs, still somewhat shaken. He can't stop thinking about it. About _her. _It was the _same night_. _So much had happened on that same night._ What were the chances? And why was he feeling guilty?

He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her the last few weeks, wondering what she was upto, wondering if she was thinking about him too. He had felt so stupid, wishing he had just asked her for her actual name, but the secrecy of it all was so… so… _romantic. _

_Really? __**Romantic? **_

The job flyer came to him so much clearer now, and he wanted to kick himself for not taking it sooner. He couldn't believe that everyone, including himself had ignored it for two whole months. He stops halfway up the long, winding staircase. They could have gotten her out two months earlier. _Two months. _

_I need some air. _

He sighs deeply, before turning on his heel and walking back down and out of the inn. It was ironic, in a very, very bitter way, that the woman he'd been thinking of for weeks now had been within the reach of a flyer. _Right. There_. And in deep, _deep _trouble. It would be a lie to say that he'd not made up scenarios in his head of how he'd meet her again, but _this _was definitely not how.

His mind began to wander, despite himself, to the week he'd spent here. The way she'd felt pinned under him, her golden hair fanning across the pillow almost like a halo around her face, how she'd looked when he had her way with her or the mischievous glint in her eyes when she had hers with him. The way kissing her felt and the way her hands would tangle in his hair as she held him tightly. Her golden hair spread against the pillow, the way it pooled around her shoulder and cascaded down her neck, and over her breasts as she slept on her side. The soft sigh she'd let out that one night when he'd wrapped his arm around her bare waist and pulled her closer to him and he stayed on till morning, knowing that this would be their last before he left that afternoon.

_Ah,_ _**fuck.**_

He looks around to find that he'd circled the block and was back at the inn again. He had to see her. His gaze darts over to the window that he knew was her room, a faint light still shining through it. And before he could talk himself out of it, he is climbing up the side of the building, hopping with ease over the ledges of the window, occasionally using the pipes creeping up the wall for support.

He swings himself over the ledge of her room when he gets there, lithely dropping on the floor of her room. Closing the window behind him, he turns to search for her only to see her standing by the bed, her bag in one hand as she stares at him. His breath hitches for a moment when he sees that she was clad in nothing but her pink lace underwear.

* * *

Lucy paces the room restlessly, trying to calm her nerves. Gray had really managed to work her up and she was starting to get fidgety. This was not how it was supposed to go. Things were supposed to be simpler than this. No one was supposed to get suspicious. No one was supposed to see her with them, or them with her. The Rain Woman and the Iron Dragon Slayer were not supposed to be on their tail; she didn't know if they were, but _if they were… _She was not only at the risk of getting caught, but the wizards who had helped her would get into serious trouble. That had most definitely been one of the reasons she'd decided not to reveal herself; aside from the fact that it would go _super _public of course, that Jude Heartfilia's daughter was missing.

That news, she supposed, would become public soon anyway. But it would be the truth, at least; she would, in fact, be missing.

_Ugh. _

She is tempted to open Loke's gate and talk to him about this, see what he had to say, but she's sure Natsu would sniff out the familiar scent in an instant. She's also sure that's exactly why he hadn't already opened the gate himself.

Maybe she should just leave right away. That was good. It wouldn't matter if they found it suspicious or weird or _anything at all _if she just left in the night without talking to anyone. She wouldn't have to deal with the questions of how she got that money. She could leave a note on her table, thank them for their help and leave the one million jewels there.

_Yeah. Seems perfect._

She hurried to the desk in her room and after scrambling for a blank sheet of paper, she starts to think of what exactly to write; this was the last thing she'd say to them, and she wants to make it count. She didn't want to give too much away. What she knew she needed to convey are gratitude and an apology; she knew they'd figure it out sooner or later, and she wants to apologize for it in advance.

As thinks this out, she also starts to consider writing something to Natsu. It didn't seem right to just not talk about it, or to not say anything. Ultimately, _that week _had been one of the best she'd had in years. Not only for everything he'd done for her, or actually… well, _to _her, it was also the week she'd found Loke.

_I should say something._

_That's stupid because you'd both made it clear that it was just one nigh- one week thing. _

_But he rescued me. Well... "rescued" me. I owe him a little more than just a note. _

_UGH. _

_NOW. _

_IS. _

_NOT._

_TIME._

She shakes her head and decides to just write the main note first, the one she intended on leaving with the cash. She scribbles the letter in a hurry, and grabs her bag, rummaging through it for the stash of the million jewels she had "borrowed" from her father's study. Exhaling a sigh of relief as she finds it, she carefully wraps the letter around the wad of cash and sets it on the study desk of her table. She nibbles at her lower lip, still unable to shake the uneasy feeling that something wasn't quite right. Shaking her head, she turns around and starts to pack her things, stuffing them hastily into her bag.

She looks down at herself and decides that she couldn't be seen leaving in the same clothes she'd been seen entering the inn in. So she slips out of the cloak, folding it neatly and placing it next to the cash-letter bundle. She removes the tattered top she'd put on that morning and lets her trousers pool around her feet. As she rummages inside her bag for a new pair of clothes, she freezes when she hears the window close and the sudden stillness in her room is eerie. She also senses it grow warmer, which is why she isn't surprised when she turns around and sees Natsu standing at the window, staring at her as his eyes take in the sight of her. She almost laughs at how familiar this whole thing feels.

Instinctively, her eyes first dart fleetingly to the study desk that was literally an arm's length away from where he stood. Then she catches sight of his darkened eyes and she realizes that she doesn't have much on. Her hands twitch to cover herself, but honestly, it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. In fact, he'd seen quite a lot more than this. She doesn't feel even an inkling of embarrassment at her state of undress. The thought makes her flush a little bit and she clears her throat before asking, "You couldn't just use the door?"

"A habit, I guess." He shrugs as he makes his way across the room and sits on the bed, leaning against the headboard, and Lucy relaxes a little bit, feeling her worry wane. "I see you've not exactly let go of your… habit," he says waving at her.

She flushes, and instead of defending herself and explaining that her being in her underwear at the same moment he'd climbed in through her window was nothing but a coincidence, she can't help herself. Her lips twitching in a smirk. "Old habits die hard, I guess. Especially when they were so…. pleasurable."'

She would, under normal circumstances be mortified at what she had just said. But with him, it'd been different. Even back when she'd met him here, she felt at ease around. She hears him chortle at her answer as he says "Touche," with a grunt, and finds herself smiling as well.

Turning back to her bag that was on the other end of the bed, her movements became slower, as she feels his gaze on him. "So, what brings you here?"

"You," he says simply, making her look at him with wide eyes as her hand freezes on it's way to pulling the white top she'd finally found, out of the bag. He feels his cheeks flush just a little bit about how that could have possibly sounded, but he doesn't really correct himself. In all technicality, that was _exactly _why he was there.

She stands straight and cocks her head at him questioningly, a blush creeping up her cheeks. He looks disturbed when he looks up at her, and she feels the wind knocked out of her when he apologizes to her, soft and breathy, laden with emotion. She walks to his side and sits next to him, looking at him carefully.

"I don't understand why you're apologizing," she says unsurely, searching his face.

"It was the same night," he mutters. "When I left…" and when he finally looks at her, she understands. And when she understands, she feels a sense of crushing guilt. She had not been prepared for this at all. Hell, she didn't even know that Stranger B- _Natsu _would be here. And he looks so upset and remorseful that she wants to tell him the truth then and there, if only to assuage his guilt. But she knew… she knew by giving him information she was only making him susceptible. It was best if he stayed as uninvolved as he possibly could.

And yet…

She raises her hand to cup his face and he tenses but only for a second before he relaxes into her touch.

"You have nothing, _nothing, _to be sorry about," she says, emphasising on every word. "There was nothing you could have done about what happened," she continues, choosing her words carefully. That was the truth. He could've done nothing about her father's decision that had pushed her to this; this faux rescue that was supposed to be simple but suddenly was not.

"You don't know that," he says uncomfortably, because honestly he was _Natsu Dragneel. _There was a reason he was famous as the Salamander, and for his insanely destructive tendencies. He could've easily been able to stop whoever had taken her. If he'd just stayed another night…

"I do know that," she says firmly. "Please, you have to believe me. And uh, maybe it was a good thing too," she adds apprehensively, dropping her hand from his face to nervously rub her upper arm.

He looks at her in utter confusion, as if she was crazy, because how on earth could a kidnapping be a _good thing. _"What in the heck are ya talking about!?"

"I…. You…." she trails away, suddenly too embarrassed, but there was no backing away now as Natsu leans closer to her, eyes burning with curiosity.

"Luce?"

_Luce? When did_ _**that **__become a thing?_

She looks up at him nervously. "I would never have been able to find you on my own," she confesses, and the implications of that one sentence were immense. And the immensity, for once, does not escape Natsu, who was staring at her now and the familiar heavy darkness of his eyes, makes her heart race. He hears it too, and a low growl escapes him in response.

His hand goes to cup her face as he kisses her, hard, and as he does, he presses his hand softly into her face; she complies immediately, starting to lie down on the bed without breaking their kiss, as Natsu shifts with her, now his legs caging her between them. He breaks their kiss to place a kiss on her jaw and then on her neck, down to her collarbone. She shivers underneath him and he feels a tingling sensation when he feels her fingers lose themselves in his hair.

"Lucy," he says quietly, almost as if to himself as he raises himself to look down at her, brown eyes swirling with emotions and the familiarity of it all makes him breathless.

Lucy raises her head off the pillow to plant a kiss on the corner of his lips. "Natsu," she replies simply.**

One of his hands slips under her bra, a warm finger grazing the underside of her breast, just the way he knew she liked. She moans softly, her fingernails digging into his back, eliciting a growl from him.

_Oh, god. _

She knows she should stop this. Stop this right now, because she was going to disappear. There were too many lies now. Too many lies for what she was doing to be healthy. It was her being selfish. Selfish for one more night with her Stranger Boy.

She should stop.

But she didn't.

She should, but she didn't.

Not when his mouth travelled further south of her body, not when he tears away her underwear with this teeth, or when his tongue pushed her to the edge, to a point where she couldn't form a single coherent thought. She does nothing to stop his hands from working her breasts as he kissed her again, greedily swallowing all of her moans. She bites down hard on her lips, hard enough to draw blood, when she feels his fingers inside her, but she doesn't stop him. She kisses him, hands cupping his face with a sense of urgency that only makes him kiss her harder as he moves in and out of her in a rhythm that he knows all too well.

***She should've put a stop to it when he, completely spent, rests his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. Instead, she kisses his nose before he rolls off of her and lets him pull her close to him, as he tucks her head under his chin after kissing the top of her head.

She should have tried to slip out of his grip in the middle of the night to slip out of the inn, like she had planned, but she didn't.

* * *

**A/N: Oh gods. How was it. Not gonna lie, I was stuck at the end - do I have her try to sneak away and get caught by natsu, or do I have her sneak away successfully or do I have her not sneak away at all despite and be tempted to stay the night... Any thoughts on that? I am curious to know what you guys think. I have an idea of how the story will proceed with each of these alternatives, but I really don't know WHICH of these alternatives I want to take. So, thoughts? About this, and the chapter in general? I'm a hot mess when it comes to writing smut, so I tried to just not go too overboard but idk how it reads cuz in general I'm bad with explicity stuff. So why write it? Idk I guess it fits the mood?**

**Tell me what you guys think!**


	6. Black Steel and Rain Woman

**A/N: ****OH MY GOD I'M SO NERVOUS FOR THIS CHAPTER. I don't know how you all are going to take this, and I can only pray you like it. This has one important reveal, please don't hate me omg.****  
**

**I really appreciate you all leaving me reviews! I especially want to know what you think of this chapter specially, so please indulge me _/\\_**

* * *

**_Chapter 6 - Black Steel and Rain Woman_**

* * *

When Lucy wakes up, it's still dark out. Natsu's hand has a vice like grip around her waist as he sleeps, a gentle snore that she still finds amusing and one that he is in complete denial about. She turns in his arms so she can see his face, lit silver as the moonlight catches locks of his pink hair. She places a gentle hand on his cheek, assured that she won't be caught, knowing that he was a heavy sleeper.

_So beautiful. _

She smiles, marvelling at the coincidence that the stranger who she hadn't been able to stop thinking about was also the one who rescued her. Her gaze goes past his head and onto the table, where the little packet she'd kept was still there, and her smile slips off her face.

He _had _rescued her. Despite the whole thing being staged, she had needed rescuing, and the innocent packet a million jewel on reminds her of that. Reminds her that she had been tired of being locked up in her home simply because of her father's irrational fear of a non-existent enemy who he claimed were after something.

He always thought people were out to get him. Maybe they were. And she was a liability. So much so that she hadn't seen him in months because he was afraid that if he didn't keep distance between them, they would trace her through him and he couldn't have his daughter be held over his head, could he? She was just tired of it all. Being kept in the dark, literally, because the house she was kept in was supposed to look like no one lived there.

Maybe he was doing it to keep her safe, or maybe he was doing it because he didn't want her getting in the way. Besides, if he really cared that much about _her_, why wouldn't he just hand whatever he wanted over to them. What could they possibly even want from him? Money? It was hard to care when she didn't have all the answers. Hard to care when she was skeptical of said enemies.

She sighs softly, her gaze flickering back to the man sleeping next to her.

_I wish we had more time. _

She kisses the tip of his nose before slipping out of his grip after a lot of struggle. She knows his name now, and that he is part of the Fairy Tail guild. Maybe one day when things cool down, she would come back, and she would tell him everything… and if could forgive her…

_A girl can dream_, she chuckles a little sadly to herself as she finally gets off the bed to put on her clothes. She looks down at herself and sees the marks he'd left on her and flushes as she slips on a new set of underwear; he hadn't removed it off of her but… it was… worn out now.

She ties her hair up in a knot after wearing a brand new set of clothes and goes to the desk again to make sure the money's all there. She briefly gets caught up in the dilemma of whether or not to write him a letter. But a letter made it final; she wants to come back. Then again, that was just being unrealistic. _But didn't she owe at least that much?_

_Maybe just a small letter. _

She leans over the table and starts to write, not really bothering with a structure. She starts with the first thing that comes to her mind.

_I wish we had more time. I'm so, so sorry for doing this, but I have to go. It's not safe. The last thing I want is to get you into trouble. I suppose you could say I care about you. _She scratches the first couple of words off that sentence. _I care about you. I hope you forgive me. _

This will have to do. She breathes in deeply, shooting his sleeping form a final glance before, a new cloak in her hand, she grabs her backpack and steps out of the room. The cloak was white with gold and blue silk borders, and a crescent moon embroidered on the back. Loke had gotten it for her from the celestial spirit world, that he had given her the morning of the day she was supposed to be "rescued". It was for her to be able to use when she separated from the group and headed to the ship. It would help in masking her scent from Black Steel, and now would keep the Fire Dragon from following her, as she went her own way, but once worn and removed, the enchantment would fade.

She makes her way down the stairs quietly and before she steps into the lobby, she slips the cloak on and pulls the hood over head. Quickly, she steps out of the stairwell and walks briskly towards the exit, shivering as the cold air hits her. She looks over at the inn again one last time before heading towards the Hargeon Port.

She knows that there was a ship that left for Minstrel at sunrise. She just needs to stay put till then. She would then send her father the long letter she had carefully drafted over the last couple of months. Whether she would come home, would depend on her father's response. She has considered that she was, maybe, being too harsh running away like this but she was tired of living this way.

The last time she'd seen her father was when she'd returned from Hargeon and he'd flown into a livid rage when one of her father's security detail members (who she didn't know were even tailing her) had told him about her encounter with some wizards. Thankfully, they didn't know what kind of "encounter", but her father was angry all the same, spewing some nonsense about how associating with wizards would just make her more "visible". In the same breath, he had mumbled to himself about getting her married for "safety" and that was when she stormed out angrily.

When she'd woken up the next morning, he was gone and the Rain Woman was guarding her bedroom, while Black Steel stood at the main entrance. She'd been angry, but neither of the wizards would give her any answer and finally, she had summoned Loke to draw up their contract, and when he heard of her circumstances, he'd suggested asking help from Fairy Tail.

Fine, maybe what she was doing wasn't so harsh afterall. She deserved answers, and if she wasn't going to get any, she didn't have to listen to her father, she thought stubbornly.

When she arrives at the port, she's relieved to see that despite the time, it was bustling with activity. She walks onto the busiest pier, and sits under the shadow of a giant ship docked near it, her eyes fixed on the horizon as she waited for dawn.

She's sat for hardly a couple of minutes, when she hears footsteps approaching the pier she was on. She freezes, hoping she'd be left alone but the footsteps halt right in front of her and she feels herself freeze at the sight of the familiar face.

"Well, well," he drawls knowingly, an unamused expression on his face.

* * *

Natsu wakes up at the crack of dawn. He yawns, rubbing his eyes and sits up straight when he finds that the bed was empty. Not wanting to assume the worst, he looks around the room slowly first and then, he smells her rapidly fading scent. He bolts out of the bed, confused till his gaze lands on something on the table.

He picks it up warily, and when he opens it, he finds a wad of cash. He also sees the letters, and rips them both quickly, eyes scanning her hurriedly written words.

_I wish we had more time. I'm so, so sorry for doing this, but I have to go. It's not safe. The last thing I want is to get you into trouble. I care about you. I hope you forgive me. _

He scowls at the letter. Did she really thinks she'd be safer out there _without _him than with? And what sort of trouble did she think he'd get into? So, he might have a couple of Phantom Lord wizards on his tail, but _so what_.

He sniffs the air, triumphant when he recognises her scent and as he follows it, stops in confusion when it disappears at the bottom of the stairwell. _What the- _

He decides he'll find her, _somehow, _and shake an explanation out of her, because clearly something was amiss.

* * *

When he heads down to the lobby of the inn, he feels someone grab him by the arm and drag him to a secluded corner. He starts to protest but feels a sharp smack on his head. He grimaces. _Erza_.

"Where the hell have you been!" she asks, livid. "I've been looking for you since last night, you weren't in your room!"

"I was… uh… out," he says, flushing red, but maintaining a composed tone. "What did you wanna talk about?"

"Obsidian Knights… There's no such guild," comes a new voice and that's when Natsu notices Jellal, standing behind Erza, arms crossed.

"Hey, Jellal," greets Natsu. "When did you get here?"

"Last night," is all Jellal says, and Natsu starts to grin about to tease Erza when… Another sharp smack.

"Now is not the time, you idiot," she scowls. "Did you not hear what he said? Obsidian Knights isn't a real guild."

Natsu frowns. "Obsidian Knights? Where have I heard that before?"

"Oh, for god's sake,_ Natsu_," says Erza with frustration. "They were the guild Mr. Hart told us kidnapped Lucy."

"Oh. Right… Wait, of course they're real. If they aren't, who the hell kidnapped her?"

Erza exchanges an uneasy glance with Jellal before looking at Natsu. "I have no idea. But clearly Phantom Lord is involved. What I don't understand is why make up a guild's name when he could've just said he didn't know. Or that it was Phantom Lord...Unless Mr. Hart himself was lied to."

"How about we just ask Lucy?" suggests Jellal. "She might know something…"

And that's when Natsu remembers why he'd come down in the first place. "Oh, yeah… About that… She's gone."

"_What!_" shrieks Erza, watching as Natsu hands over the packet Lucy had left. She peers into it. "Is this… the reward money?"

"Seems like it," he mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How… does _she _have the reward money?" asks Erza, completely befuddled. "Didn't she say her father would arrange for someone to give us the money? Did her father come sometime last night?"

"No, he didn't," says Natsu firmly, shaking his head.

"How would you know?" asks Erza, frowning at him.

_Oh. Right. _

"Because er, I was up all night, just walking around the inn and I would've known if someone had entered."

_There. Convincing?_

Erza grimaces at him.

_Apparently not._

"Gray was right," she mutters seriously. "Something's very off about this. I don't like the idea of being deceived this way."

"Hey, you don't know if there was any "deception" involved, per se," insists Natsu, earning a skeptical look from Erza, making him mumble. "_Okay fine_, _maybe _some details are missing."

After Erza had read the letter Lucy had left them, she sighed. "She's clearly in trouble of some kind. But she also _clearly _doesn't want our help…"

"But we're going to go anyway, right?" asks Natsu, raising his brows.

"I don't know, Natsu," sighs Erza. "We don't have the clear picture. I don't know what we're getting into. Or we might be making things worse for her... And-"

"Wait," says Natsu, cutting her off as he sniffs the air, tense.

"What is it, Natsu?" asks Erza, shooting Jellal a glance, who is on alert as well.

"Gajeel is here," he says seriously.

Erza relaxes. "Then I guess we have nothing to worry about. Lucy isn't here. No evidence of our involvement so… it's a coincidence."

"Where's Gray?" asks Natsu suddenly, looking around, as he realizes that Gray wasn't really rubbing things in his face the way he usually would.

"He went to bed some time after Jellal came in. I'd called Jellal in after he'd told me his suspicions, and when I went to call Gray to tell me what Jellal had, he didn't open the door."

Natsu grimaces. "Yeah, Popsicle Brain sleeps like the dead."

The three of them have gone to eat at the inn's eatery, and Natsu sits up straight and on alert. As if on cue, Gajeel walks in, sniffing the air and his eyes directly land on Natsu. His gaze narrows as he strides towards him.

"Where is she?" he asks, towering over him, and before Natsu can react, Erza speaks up.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asks calmly.

"_You _know what the hell I'm talking about," he snaps. "You really expect me to believe that you being here is a coincidence?"

Natsu stands up lazily. "Look, Gajeel, I don't know what you're talking about but it looks like you wanna pick a fight so how about we take this outside," he says, bringing both his hands together, grinning as they light up with fire.

Gajeel growls as he picks up Natsu by the vest and hurls him through the window of the inn and out onto the road behind it before following him outside.

"Where is she, Salamander?" he barks, approaching him just as Natsu got his feet.

"I don't know what you're talking about Metal Head," cackles Natsu, as he leaps at him, hands ablaze and at the ready, and lands a punch on Gajeel's face. He staggers but undeterred, his hand turns into iron as he swipes at Natsu.

"I can smell her off of you," snarls Gajeel. "Hand her over!"

Natsu doesn't respond, and instead keeps attacking and the two keep fighting head-on, oblivious to the chaos going on the other side of the inn where Erza and Jellal were engaging Juvia, out in the street in front of it. Both battles are raging in full force, Jellal and Erza gaining only a slight upper hand because of Jellal's mastery of basic water magic techniques.

As she changes forms, Juvia asks coldly, "Who hired you?"

Erza doesn't answer, knowing that she couldn't give her any answers since they were supposed to keep their involvement secret. Requipping into her Sea Empress Armor, she slashes at the spheres of boiling water thrown their way wildly at the same time Jellal tackles Juvia with Meteor speed.

"I could ask you the same thing," says Erza, releasing bolts of lightning at the water mage, who is now on the floor, as she changes into her Lightning Empress Armor. "

"Jude Heartfilia," she replies simply, sidestepping the lightning attack as she jumps onto her feet.

Erza's eyes widen, making Juvia finally stop her attacks as she sets her feet back on solid ground. "Now you see your folly?"

"Why would Jude Heartfilia be involved in this?"

Juvia cocks her head at Erza, looking at her curiously. "We were tasked with protecting his daughter."

Erza grimaces, changing into her Heaven's Wheel Armour and quickly sending all the swords at her disposal towards Juvia, caging her in. "Do not lie to me," she snarls, changing back into her Heart Kreuz, deciding that she needed answers and she didn't care if she exposed their involvement. "You kidnapped Lionel Hart's daughter. _Why_?"

"Kidnap?" asks Juvia, blinking in confusion. "And Juvia does not know any Lionel Hart. All Juvia knows is she was supposed to keep the girl safe from the Orecion Seis, until _you _interfered."

* * *

**A/N: ****SO? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS TELL ME YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT... any speculation on where i'm going with this? I hope this was okay and good enough and please don't be mad, omg. I HOPE I DIDN'T DISAPPOINT ANYONE. (and yeah jude isn't like EVIL or anything...)**


	7. Scuffle at the Port

**A/N: ****Ugh. This fic has gotten out of control oh my god. The plot is a lot more complex than I initially needed it to be, thats why it's taking me longer to write. This fic is going to b G, phew, partially because I can't shut up, lmao.  
**

**Also, any guesses as to the role of Orecion Seis? It's been done in the anime! I will be making my own changes of coures, to fit the plot, but I'm curious to see if anyone's gonna guess [ and potentially may be get annoyed at me ].**

**OH AND BTW I'll take prompts on my Tumblr if anyone wants to send any my way! . www dot yogicturtle dot tumblr dot com slash ask. Sorry, the layout is kinda ugly right now lmaoooo**

* * *

**To the Reviews:**

**paolarohe1529:** _Nope! He's not! He really just wants to protect her ;)_

**Michiamotippette: **_Oh, omg really?! If that kind of smut works, great! I'll try to keep writing that kind. I prefer not getting TOO detailed; makes me feel some type of way lmaooo_

And omg only **Nerdmom****DM **and **Michiamotippette **made the guess in the right direction, woohoo!

I would also like to thank **Ushindeshi**, ** , Lady Otaku Bish **and** MaraDragneel3113 **for leaving me reviews! I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate it! I hope you guys like where this story goes. _/\\_ I LOVE YOU ALL, MY REVIEWERS, MY FAVOURITERS and SUBSCRIBERS. I thrive. xoxo.

* * *

**_Chapter 7 - Scuffle at the Port_**

* * *

"You fairies really do make everything worse," growls Gajeel, earning just a grunt form Natsu who was walking alongside him, arms crossed.

Natsu's head is still reeling from all the information he had just received and right now, he's doing his best to just simply focus on finding her. But they have absolutely no lead and he's currently under orders from Erza to track Gray, who'd been missing from his room as well. Once Juvia and Gajeel had explained the situation to them, Erza had flown up the stairs and nearly took the door to Gray's room of its hinges only to find that he wasn't in.

_"We split to look for her. Natsu, you'll track Gray and-"_

_"What!? Why? Snow Drift can take care of himself! I need-"_

_"Natsu, you'll try to find him because you'd do the best job at tracking his scent because you're familiar with it. Gajeel, Juvia and I will each take one of each of the roads that leads away from the hotel. We're bound to find her on one of these roads, somewhere."_

It just so happened that Gray's scent led to the road Gajeel had chosen. The Iron Dragon Slayer was tense and alert, occasionally narrowing his eyes at Natsu.

"Quit it," mumbles Natsu, increasing the pace of his steps, trying to keep his sense of irritation and worry at bay.

Gajeel grunts, rolling his eyes before he cracks his knuckles. "So, Salamander. Care to explain why her scent is coming off of you like you showered in it or something?"

Natsu's eyebrows pinch into a frown and he scowls at Gajeel. "None of your business."

Gajeel returns a scowl. "It's my job to keep her safe and if you-"

Natsu glares at Gajeel, outraged. "I did nothing of the kind! She… I… _None of your business._"

Gajeel raises his brows, sniffing the air for lies of any kind, before eyeing him suspiciously. "Interesting."

"Shut up, Metal Head," he replies, just as Gajeel comes to halt at an intersection of the road. The cobblestone path now diverged in two different roads, one heading down the port and one winding down the fisher's market.

"Gray's down there," says Natsu, pointing to the road leading to the port.

"Guess I'll hafta take this one then," mumbles Gajeel as he turns to the one leading to the fisher market. He starts to walk before he halts and looks over his shoulder at Natsu with narrowed eyes. "And Salamander?"

"What?" asks Natsu, not stopping as he walks down the road.

"If you find her, no funny business," says Gajeel seriously dodging the ball of flame Natsu had chucked at him.

Scowling, Natsu turns away and trudges down the road, glad that he finally had some space to think. To mull over everything he had just heard. He didn't want to admit it, but he's hurt that she lied to him. His fingers tighten around the crumpled piece of paper in his hand, the note she'd left him. He's read it so many times now that he has it memorized.

_I wish we had more time. I'm so, so sorry for doing this, but I have to go. It's not safe. The last thing I want is to get you into trouble. I care about you. I hope you forgive me._

_..._

_I care about you._

_..._

_I hope you forgive me._

_..._

He has so many questions. There's so much about that note that makes his heart beat faster. But there's also worry and most times, worry wins out because he knows she's in danger. More danger than she thinks she's in. It's starting to frustrate him that he can't catch her scent. The sun is higher now and the streets are a lot noisier than when he'd first stepped out of the inn. He feels Gray's scent grow stronger and tenses, alert, looking around for any signs of a white coat or the sound of a woman screeching about some naked guy.

He reaches the end of the road, blinking as the sun suddenly gets brighter as he steps out of the shadows of the houses on the street. The horizon is blocked by ships docked at the pier and even his sharpened senses can't pick out Gray in the crowd.

_Idiot_, he thinks to himself as he decides he has no choice but to pursue the scent. _Couldn't have left a note. I could be looking for her but… NO, you just had to run off. _

Determined to find Gray and then give him a beating, Natsu wades through crowds of people, weaving his way through crates and baskets being loaded on and off the ships.

And suddenly, her scent hits him. As if it appeared out of nowhere.

* * *

When she'd arrived at the port, she'd been relieved to see that despite the time, it was bustling with activity. She walks onto the busiest pier, and sits under the shadow of a giant ship docked near it, her eyes fixed on the horizon as she waited for the sun to come up. She's sat for hardly a couple of minutes, when she hears footsteps approaching the pier she was on. She stills, hoping she'd be left alone but the footsteps halt right in front of her and she feels herself freeze at the sight of the familiar face.

"Well, well," he drawls knowingly, an unamused expression on his face.

Before she can react, she feels a chill settle around her and her hands, in her lap, lose their mobility. Panicking, she looks down to see crystal clear cuffs made of ice, around her hands and anxiety hits her like a ton of bricks as she looks up at the impassive face of the ice mage.

Gray is now squatting in front of her, eyes narrow as he watches her. She licks her lips nervously once, and her hands, though bound now, are clutching at her cloak tightly. He realizes she hadn't been wearing that when they first saw her. It looks expensive and surprisingly shimmery in the dark.

He can tell she's scared and he notices the way her gaze keeps flickering to the horizon. He waits for a sense of victory to come so he can rub it into Flame Brain's face that he was right, but as he watches the girl squirming uneasily, scared, looking a little guilty, he only feels apprehension. Maybe it was because she didn't look at all threatening.

_"I… put up an enchantment."_

_"Wait, you're a wizard!?" asks Natsu, surprised._

She'd said she was a wizard but she had made no move to use her magic, not even to defend herself. That makes him all the more apprehensive, and equally sure that he's missing something.

He watches her coolly, waiting for her to say something, but she doesn't. She simply stares at him, swallowing thickly as she does, but stays quiet as she studies him.

"You lied to us," he says simply.

She only grunts in response, not even bothering to deny it anymore.

"Who are you?"

"Lucy."

His eyes narrow again, but she doesn't even flinch. He knows something is off. He just knows it. But he doesn't even know where to begin asking questions, or what to ask.

"I need the truth," he says, at last.

"I needed rescuing," she says in response, and he can tell her words are measured. Careful.

"The _whole _truth."

She sighs. "I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"The less you know the better."

Gray considers her words. It's true he didn't know what he was dealing with, but then again, it couldn't possibly be anything him and his team couldn't handle.

"Why is that?"

_Because my father is a powerful man and I don't want him to come after you. _

"Just… It could get you into trouble. I don't want anyone else involved."

Gray snorts at that. "We were involved the second we broke into that manor to save you."

She sighs. "It wasn't supposed to… You were just supposed to let me…" Another frustrated sigh, as her gaze flickers to the horizon just as a sliver of light appears of it. "Look, it doesn't matter. It's not too late." She glances down at her cuffed hands. "Just… let me go. And we can forget this ever happened," she pleads.

Gray hesitates. He can sense the urgency in her voice but he's still wary. Wary of the lies, wary of being involved in something he had absolutely no clue about and mostly, just wary of the lack of information he feels he should know. He has always hated diving head first into _anything _without information, and this is no exception. His gut twists uneasily at the prospect of missing pieces of information and he runs a frustrated hand through his hair.

"What are you waiting for?" he asks finally, when he catches her throw an anxious look towards the horizon. He follows her gaze and sees a ship looming over the zenith in the distance.

Her eyes flicker back to his face and she nods towards the ship's silhouette. "That."

Gray quirks a brow, but once again, she offers no further explanation. She starts to stand-up, but Gray is up in an instant, hands on her shoulder as he pushes her back into a seated position.

"I need the truth."

"Are you daft?" she asks him suddenly, making him blink in surprise at her sudden change in demeanour. She stares at him and her brows cinch into a frown, before she snorts in a disgruntled manner. "_Ice Brain_ really does suit you, huh?"

Gray blinks in confusion. "How did you-"

But she continues, paying him no heed. "What part of I _cannot _tell you the truth do you not understand? Do you _want _to put everyone at risk? Miss Scarlet and Natsu? If you don't know anything, there's deniability and-"

"We're _Fairy Tail_," snaps Gray. "There's nothing we can't handle and-"

The ship gets closer and Lucy is increasingly getting agitated. "Look, I really need to go!" she says, her voice filled with urgency.

She stares at his stubborn face and feels really annoyed this time. She really didn't want to fight him. But she also really needs to get onto that ship. She could see that it was going to anchor on one of the furthest piers so she didn't have much time; she has to get out of the cuffs, fight Gray and reach the ship on time to be able to board it.

Hands still in her lap, she relaxes them slightly, letting them slip into the fold of her cloak. Her fingertips graze the pouch and she smiles at Gray apologetically.

"I'm sorry."

"Wha-"

There's a flash of light and Gray finds himself wanting to take a nap as the softest material he's ever felt in his life surrounds him. It takes him a moment to snap out of it before he's freezing the massive lump of wool around him before leaping out of the from the centre of the frozen walls. He sees she's dropped her cloak and turns to see her successfully breaking the ice cuffs after knocking them against a giant crate a few feet ahead.

Disgruntled as he watches her start to sprint, he touches the ground, his touch starting a trail of sheet ice as it shoots forward in Lucy's direction before getting her right under her feet and tripping her.

"What'd you think you're doing, Ice Brain!" snarls a voice next to him as jogs up from behind to join him.

"Trying to stop her from getting on that ship," he grunts, starting to walk towards Lucy who was struggling to get to her fit.

Natsu walks by Gray unsurely, eyes flickering to the ship that Gray had just pointed at. His attention is brought back to Lucy when she yelps, looking comical as she wobbles over the ice, cursing; she still hasn't seen him yet.

Lucy is really annoyed now. Loke was right; they really didn't know when to quit. It couldn't have been easy for her; complications couldn't just have ended when _he _had shown up to the rescue. _No. _She _had _to be at the port, meters away from the ship that she could board to get away from… _whatever_… and here she couldn't even get to her feet.

_Fucking hell. _

She tries to stand up again, looking over her shoulder to see the ship dropping its anchor. She only had a few more minutes. Thinking desperately, she looks around and feels foolish when the idea strikes. Reprimanding herself, she gets on her fours and attempts to crawl off the sheet of ice and onto solid ground, but too little too late.

She feels a warm hand wrap around her arm as opposed to the cold grip she was expecting and whips her head around to look over her shoulder, eyes wide. Natsu is watching her grimly as he effortlessly picks her to steady her on her feet and pulls her off the ice sheet.

"Natsu!" she squeaks, cheeks turning red, as she forgets to squirm in his grip.

He sighs softly, but doesn't release her. Instead, he holds her free hand, slipping the crumpled letter he had been holding into hers, oblivious to Gray, who is standing behind Natsu, arms crossed, watching them with interest. She frowns for a second, looking down at their now intertwined hands and her eyes widen in realization. Blushing red, she looks up at his face, stuttering, "I- I.. Well-"

"I wanted to, but I… I… Safe…" she stutters lamely, because once again… _Not how it was supposed to go. _

"You lied to me," he says, and his words make her flinch. "You lied to all of us."

"I'm sorry," she says quietly. "I didn't think..."

"Yeah. You didn't."

"...But I don't regret it," she finishes. "I had to. It was the only way to-"

_This again._

He cuts her off, deciding to deal with the rest of it later, knowing that she was still not fully safe. "Look, we can keep you safe. Safer than you think." Pause. "Come with us. Please."

He sees her look down thoughtfully, and he relaxes a little, knowing that she was considering his words. She looks up at him unsurely, about to say something but another voice cuts through the air, making her jump as she looks over her shoulder.

"Oi, Salamander!"

Natsu looks up to see Gajeel hurrying towards them from over Lucy's head, and his eyes shoot to Lucy instantly, seeing the confusion and worry swirl in them.

"Congratulations, you found them both!" continues Gajeel as he walks towards them, Natsu feels Lucy wrench herself out of his grip.

She is looking at him wide-eyed, livid and hurt. She looks over her shoulder again, before looking back at him and he can already see what she is thinking as she backs away from him.

* * *

**A/N: ****OOPs. There. ****WHAT DO YOU THINK? PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I MUST KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS. WHERE DO YOU THINK IT's HEADED? AM I BEING TOO ANNOYING AND SLOW?**

**I need y'all to ask me AS MANY QUESTIONS as possible because that'll help me to think about points I might have missed on the way. As I said, the plot's kind of complex, so I'm bound to overlook a couple of things, so PLEASE ask me questions.**


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